After a failed season, the Lakers decided to bet Wei Wei and created a super big three.
In order to solve the problem of the lack of space in the Big Three, the Lakers management has brought in double-digit new signings, most of them veterans, as well as non-ball shooters such as Munch, Ellington and Anthony.
But the problem is that these players have no defensive ability at all, which has led to a serious decline in the Overall Defensive Performance of the Lakers this season, with the average points conceded per game slipping to 26th in the league, and last season they also ranked first in the league.
And the Lakers' such a bad situation can be described as a cocoon, they would have had the opportunity to easily sign 3 defensive toughsters.
Helplessly, the Lakers not only copied the bottom of the player's eyes, but also made mistakes in the choice of retaining people.
The US media "Lakeshowlife" also pointed out the mistake of the Lakers management, believing that the Lakers had the opportunity to easily have three defensive tough players.
Player One: Otto Porter Jr
Long before the summer of 2021, the Lakers were revealed to be interested in getting Otto Porter Jr., when he was sent to the Magic in the Bulls' trade for Vucevic, who appeared to be planning to complete a buyout.
Sadly, that didn't happen, and when Otto Porter Jr. became a free agent, he wanted at least one middle-class exception.
Such a request scared off the Lakers, and the Lakers were very busy at the time, so they did not continue to pursue Otto Porter Jr., and as a result, the latter joined the Warriors with a basic salary contract.
Apparently, Otto Porter Jr. was grossly undervalued, and like Batum, he had previously won a big contract, leading to a general underestimation of their abilities.
In fact, they are totally worth a middle-class exception, and this season Otto Porter Jr. has also proved this with performance, averaging 3.9 three-pointers per game and shooting 40.4% from the field.
Meanwhile, among the players who played 600 minutes, Otto Porter Jr. ranked eighth in defensive plus-minus, and the Lakers could have signed him instead of competing with the Warriors for Bazmore.
Player two: Belitsa
In the offseason, the local media in Los Angeles also suggested that the Lakers could sign back to Belitsa with a basic salary, which was ridiculed by their peers.
It turns out that Bjelica, who experienced a losing season, has ushered in a bottoming out this season, and the Warriors have once again succeeded in bottoming out.
Considering that the Lakers have asked for more center positions this season, Bjelica is undoubtedly the perfect No. 4 position option, which can provide stable rebounding protection, plus excellent space ability.
Although with the schedule, Bjelica's three-point shooting rate has dropped severely, with a three-point shooting rate of only 34.2%.
But it has to do with the way the Warriors use him, cutting his playing time too far, after all, the Warriors rotation is too deep.
What's more, his defensive performance far exceeded expectations, ranking 13th among players who played at least 600 minutes in terms of defensive plus-minus.
Player three: Caruso
There is no doubt that Caruso will be on the list, and he has been mentioned frequently since the beginning of the tournament because he is so good.
He ranks seventh in the league with a +2.8 defensive plus-minus and third among defenders, and is one of six players with a plus-minus of +2.5 or more in at least 3,000 minutes on the field in the past three years.
In addition, his combination with James is the first net point per 100 rounds, and he is one of the 10 players in history who have a plus-minus of at least +2.3 defensive plus-minus and have handed over 40% three-point shooting rate, and as a result, the Lakers let him go in order to avoid taxes, and even chose Horton Tucker, did not choose him.